Paper Lantern
by sakurastarberry
Summary: Sometimes, Sakura can't keep up with the lies. But she knows that if she leaves, she'll be breaking her own heart and what's left of Sasuke's. AU series. Very loosely inspired by Batman. Part of SasuSaku Month.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Paper Lantern

Summary: Sometimes, Sakura can't keep up with the lies. But she knows that if she leaves, she'll be breaking her own heart and what's left of Sasuke's.

Rating: T

Prompt: Shadows

Warning(s): Some violence in future chapters.

Notes: This is another of AU series. It will be its own separate, chaptered story. Prompt is "Shadows" for SasuSaku Month 2012

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to its owners. Batman belongs to its owners. This is very loosely based on Batman. I've just always liked the idea of Sasuke running around in a mask and being vigilante. Also, the revenge thing connected them in my head. So, he won't be calling himself Batman. He won't have the same origin story.

-S-

"Uchiha-sama! You were spotted with an actress yesterday. Is she your girlfriend?"

"Is it true you are dating the governor's daughter?"

"Are you on a date -"

_FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!_

The swarm of photographers refused to leave him alone. Beside him his guards pushed back the paparazzi, clearing a path for his entourage. Kakashi led them down the maroon carpet laid down for him. _Of course they would. This was just another of his properties._

He gladly entered the building and headed towards the upper floor to his private box. Someone was already there, facing away from him. It was a small figure, dressed in a white beanie bonnet, blazer, black pants, and shiny shoes.

The figure drifted deeper into the private box and hid behind the shadows of the curtains. He crept up behind the phantom and wrapped an arm around its waist.

There was a startled gasp and a protest that he swiftly captured with his mouth. One hand grasped her chin to so that he could deepen the kiss, while the other gently pulled her hair from its confines. She pushed against his chest and turned around to face him.

Her flushed cheeks and slightly parted mouth was a welcome sight after not seeing a glimpse of her in almost two months. His lips formed themselves into a practiced smirk.

"You told me you were in France, Sakura." There was no incredulity in his voice. No accusation either, but the annoyance was clearly conveyed even as he stroked her long, pink hair.

"Sasuke-kun, I never thought you would cheat on me with a man. I always thought I'd have to compete with those sexy and gorgeous women that flaunt themselves around you."

The annoyance in his stare increased tenfold and the smirk dropped down into a confused frown.

She could no longer suppress her giggles and explained, "I mean, since when did you make out with random boys, Sasuke-kun. I was turned around and wearing a disguise. You could have been kissing some stranger!"

"Next time you want to be unrecognizable, I suggest you don't wear _my _clothes." He pulled open the blazer and recalled giving her the shirt.

_Sakura clung to him that night as they watched a movie in her apartment. She pressed her face on his chest to feel the soft fabric and smell his light cologne. She fell asleep before the movie ended. He unbuttoned the plain white shirt and wrapped it around her. He lifted her legs onto the lumpy, blue sofa and shifted so that she would still be in his arms but they would both be comfortable._

The blazer was not something he had given her, but he knew it belonged to him as well. He had seen her wear enough of his clothes that he could easily picture exactly how one of his blazers would fit had probably taken one once and he never noticed. There were too many in his closet. But even if she were wearing a different disguise, he would still be able to recognize her. He was familiar enough with the contours and dimensions of her body.

"I kinda borrowed-"

"-stole." She glared at him for his interruption.

"-from your closet. I wanted to surprise you, Sasuke-kun!" She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and gave him chaste kisses until his frown was replaced with a smirk. He tightened his grip around her and leaned down to kiss her again.

A hand was placed on each of their shoulders pulling them away from each other.

"Food's here! And Uchiha, you're paying for my wine."

Sasuke inwardly groaned at Tsunade's interruption.

"Hey, Sasuke! The service sucks. They don't have ramen!"

An arm had draped around his shoulders. He glared as Sakura was pulled into an embrace by Ino. He sat down to keep himself from kicking out the nuisances. Naruto sat on his left. As he pulled down Sakura to his right, Ino swatted his arm away and pushed Sakura into the end seat and sat on her other side.

Sasuke leaned over Ino and grabbed Sakura, pulling her onto his lap. His glare left no room for arguments. He had not seen Sakura for a while, and he wasn't going to let their teasing cut into his time with Sakura. Naruto could have sworn Sasuke's eyes turned red, his teeth bared to reveal sharp white wolf fangs, and a low angry growl summoned cold air to assault him.

They relaxed into their seats, Sakura feeding him tiny pieces of dried fruit. Naruto ordered one of Sasuke's guards to get him ramen and he sat contentedly eating while listening to music on his phone and rudely ignoring the play. Ino watched the play but most of her attention was similarly on her phone. Truthfully, it had only been Sakura and Hinata that wanted to watch the play. Unfortunately, the flu fairy decided today was the perfect time to visit her.

Just as the first Act of "Beauty and the Beast" concluded, Sasuke's phone vibrated in his pocket. Sitting on his lap, Sakura did her best to ignore it. However, Sasuke adjusted his hold on her and reached into his pocket, barely taking out the cellphone to prevent Sakura from seeing it.

Sasuke stood up and gently pushed Sakura down into the seat. He leaned down to whisper, "I have to go."

Naruto and Ino turned in their seats curiously staring at the couple.

"Naruto, drive Sakura to my condo after the play." Sasuke crouched down in front of Sakura to give her a short kiss, frowning when she turned her head slightly and his lips touched only the corner of her mouth.

"Go. I know already," her voice accepting, but she still looked away from him. Sasuke kissed the pendant of her necklace instead. The metal Uchiwa fan felt warm against her skin as he tucked it back into her shirt.

He walked away in his black suit disappearing into the shadows once again.

-S-

A/N

1) I haven't watched the movie yet. I'm excited for it though.

2) Truthfully Batman!verse has been running around in my mind since Batman Begins. I did not even know fanfiction existed back then. I liked to imagine my own scenarios though. Still, I never wrote them down. They were just fun to think about when I was bored. But I decided now was the right time to publish this because of Batman's recent release.

3) I loathe what they did to the Rachel side-plot. In my made-up scenarios, she would not have left Bruce Wayne. She would have faithfully loved him even if they couldn't be together. I see them as childhood sweethearts that separated for a while but then their puppy love transitioned into true love when they met again.


	2. Conversation

**Title:** Paper Lantern

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. I don't own DC comics. I wouldn't mind owning Sasuke-kun though :D

**Theme: **AU

**Prompt: Conversation Day : 1**

**Medium: **Fanfiction

**Rating:** T

**Warning(s):** A bit of violence

**Comments:** Short drabble for now. Sorry this is very late. This is Paper Lantern Part 2. Originally, this piece was written for SasuSaku Month 2011 Day 6: Hello/Goodbye. This was going to be the Batman-verse story but I wasn't able to finish it on time. I've decided to edit it and turn it into chapter 2 of Paper Lantern because a review inspired me to continue the story. So, now it's SasuSaku Month 2012 Day 1: Conversation.

-S-

NOTE: THIS IS A FLASHBACK!

Emerald eyes widened as she woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom. Rays of sunlight peaked through the heavily embroidered curtains. She sat up in the bed, parting the sheer canopy surrounding her. Looking around she noticed the spacious room was decorated with rococo paintings. The mahogany wood of the chaise near the door matched the headboard, the vanity, and the other furniture.

As she strode over to the window, she recalled taking a nap in her office. Strange, how did she end up here? Was she possibly kidnapped? The thought terrified her and she sat back on the bed, searching her arms and legs for any injuries. Something shiny gleamed in the edges of her vision. A sigh of relief escaped her as she noticed the familiar music box.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Haruno-sama, are you awake?" a gentle female voice asked.

She swiftly unlocked the door and was greeted by an elderly woman holding a tray of food. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled.

"Good morning! I hope I didn't wake you. Uchiha-sama told me to bring you breakfast." Handing the sleepy-eyed girl the tray, the woman bowed respectfully and left.

"Wait!" she called after the retreating back just before she rounded the corner. "Where is he?"

She paused and turned around. Before she could even speak, a smooth male voice said, "I'm right here."

"Sasuke-kun! I thought you were in Italy?"

"I was."

"Thanks for picking me up at work and bringing me here. Where is here, exactly?" She had pieced most of the puzzle together already, but a few details were missing.

"It was Kakashi. This is the main building, Hallway C. I have business to attend to. The maids will give you anything you need."

Sasuke never did give her proper greetings. He was here one moment, just to let her have a glimpse, and then gone again in the blink of an eye. That was how it had been for over a year now. He was always leaving, and she would be unable to follow, forced to silently wait for him.

Even though Sasuke was the younger son and had less responsibilities, he was always working, always busy.

-S-

The first time she saw him was at the hospital. His clothes were soaked in blood, ripped in places to reveal the pale skin covered in red, blue, and purple. She was just passing by; dropping off the cellphone her Aunt Shizune had left at home.

The nurses told her to wait in an emergency room. A man was standing next to the boy. Eavesdropping is rude, she knew that, but she couldn't help but listen as the man described the boy's wounds and calmly asked for Tsunade-sensei. It was the name that made her ears pick up every word. The nurses insisted that the current doctor was perfectly capable of treating the boy.

At this, the boy turned his head to face the man. She had a clear view of the beautiful onyx eyes framed by straight black hair falling in front of his face.

"Kakashi, don't you dare tell them my name," he hissed.

"Now, you can talk? Just go back to being silent. I'll handle this."

A woman dressed in the customary white uniform with a stethoscope dangling from her neck walked in. Her name tag read "Shizune."

She accused, "Kakashi, what are you doing harassing the nurses?"

The man whispered quietly into her ear and she nodded. Turning to the boy lying down on the bed, she laughed, "I never thought I'd see you in here for street fighting."

He remained silent, settling for a glare.

"You'll need some stitches, but none of the injuries are serious."

As Shizune finished patching up the arm, she noted, "Most of the blood covering him isn't his. And before you ask, No, I won't tell your family. Be warned that next time I won't be so lenient."

The brown haired woman headed towards the door after leaving the brooding boy in the care of the other nurses. Sakura, stood up quickly and rushed towards her.

"Auntie, here's your phone."

"Thanks, Sakura. My shift is almost over there. Just stay here and I'll drive you home."

Did she hear that correctly? Auntie Shizune usually sent her to the waiting room. She clarified, "Go to the waiting room?"

At this, Shizune smiled, "No, stay here and watch the nurses. Learn from them since you want to be a doctor too."

Sakura slowly walked back to her seat. Feeling unsure about intruding on someone's privacy. Sensing her hesitancy, the senior nurse spoke up, "Kakashi-san, do you mind if Sakura-chan observes?"

"Sure. You're Shizune's niece?"

"Yes. Um, are you really okay with this?" she asked glancing at the angry expression on the boy's face.

"Don't mind him. He's just the typical rebellious teenager. Sasuke,-"

"I told you not to say my name!" the handsome boy complained.

"-I'm going to take care of this mess. Be nice to Sakura-chan." With those parting words, Kakashi left them alone with the nurses.

Sakura fidgeted, sitting down on the hard plastic seat by the bed.

"Sasuke-kun, it's nice to meet you. I'm Haruno Sakura," she extended her hand in greeting but lowered it when Sasuke made no indication of accepting the gesture. He acknowledged her with a simple nod and turned away.

A few minutes passed in silence. Then, Sakura tried again, "How are you feeling, Sasuke-kun? I hope you're doing better. My Aunt Shizune is a great doctor. So is Auntie Rin but she's on vacation right now."

Silence again. Not even a nod this time.

She raised her voice, "So what's your favorite color? Favorite number? Favorite food?"

He turned to her, finally, and spoke, "Just be quiet. I have a headache."

She wanted to retort, _why didn't you say so in the first place? You don't have to be rude_. But then she remembered he was feeling bad. And also, patience and understanding were important qualities that a future doctor must have.

So instead, she whispered, "Sorry, Sasuke-kun. Get better soon!" This was followed by what she hoped was a placating smile.

She spent the rest of the time watching the doctors and the nurses. Her wait wasn't very long. Soon, Aunt Shizune came back and dismissed Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-san. They walked to the parking lot together with her giving orders and warnings about his wounds. She and Sasuke-kun walked a pace behind them. No more words were exchanged between them.

-S-

And that was Sakura's first not-conversation with Sasuke-kun.


End file.
